To provide fixation of the cervical region of the spine, bone grafts have been employed for occipito-cervical fusion. Sub-occipital and sub-laminar wiring techniques, lateral occipital plates, and a “keyhole” technique have been employed to stabilize the cervical region during fusion. Wiring techniques have been found to not provide the desired rigid fixation and can result in complications with intradural penetration. Lateral plates lie very close to the surface of the skin and can require bi-cortical placement of screws. Keyhole techniques involve the creation of a burr hole and a keyway in the occiput. As a result, the complexity of the surgery is increased.
Systems for occipital cervical fixation are needed that provide adequate fixation and reduce the complexity of the surgery for implantation. The present invention is directed to satisfying these needs, among others.